When Wayne Rooney received the ball, he was more than 65 yards from goal. His
team-mate, Robin van Persie, was one third of the way into the opposition
half, guarded by two defenders. The idea that with two touches the ball
would end up in the back of the Aston Villa net was not just fanciful; it
was almost inconceivable.

But over the course of the next second and a half on Monday at Old Trafford, a
number of things happened. First, Rooney spotted the position of Van Persie
and computed the trajectory of a pass that could reach his